Fernando Alonso has delivered a brutal verdict on F1 2026, claiming the new cars require less driver skill and have the grip of a \u201crental car\u201d.<\/p>\n
Formula 1\u2019s new engine formula is dominating the headlines in the build-up to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, met with mixed reviews from the grid.<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso says F1 2026 cars require less driver skill<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n While some of the drivers, such as Lando Norris, say the cars are fun to drive, others are worried the sport has moved too far over into Formula E territory with the new 50\/50 split between electrical and combustion power.<\/p>\n It means energy management has become the buzz phrase of F1 2026.<\/p>\n With boost mode, overtaking mode, and battery harvesting, drivers have to choose between carrying speed into a corner or conserving energy for the straights.<\/p>\n More on F1 2026\u2019s engines<\/p>\n Max Verstappen clarifies Formula E remark over F1 energy focus<\/a><\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton insists F1 2026 start procedure is \u2018not dangerous\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n That hasn\u2019t had a big impact through the slower corners, but Alonso<\/a> reckons it has changed the game in the high-speed corners.<\/p>\n So much so, he reckons it downplays a driver\u2019s ability.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re always on the limit on the grip,\u201d he told PlanetF1.com and other media in Bahrain. \u201cBut yeah, it is different. It depends on the corners, obviously. But yeah, you are always at the limit of the grip.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso in a rental car, you are always on the limit of the grip, if you push the limits.<\/p>\n \u201cBut in high-speed corners, especially, I think it\u2019s less challenging. We have to say that, there\u2019s nothing wrong to say.<\/p>\n \u201cLike in 10, 12 here and some other corners, maybe in Barcelona and other places, we will decide to stop the energy, to save it and go through the corner in a slower speed, and then you have more energy for the straight.<\/p>\n \u201cSo from a driver point of view, obviously, your skills matter less now, because you can go as fast as the energy decision you choose before that corner.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, yeah, different Formula 1.\u201d<\/p>\n Alonso had previously quipped that a \u201cchef\u201d could drive today\u2019s car as the energy management has taken as much as 50kph out of the cornering speed.<\/p>\n \u201cNow in 10\/12 we are like 50kph lower because we don\u2019t want to waste energy there, and we want to have it all on the straights,\u201d he said at the first Bahrain test. \u201cSo you do 10,12, instead of 260, at 200.<\/p>\n \u201cThe chef can drive the car in 10,12 at that speed, but you don\u2019t want to waste energy, because you want to have it on the straight.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a driver,\u201d he continued, \u201cyou would like to make the difference in the corner, driving those five kilometres faster, but now you are dictated by how much energy your engine will have on the next straight.\u201d<\/p>\n Alonso was back behind the wheel of the AMR26 on Thursday at the Bahrain International Circuit, the Spaniard laying down the laps on the penultimate day of testing.<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Mat Coch<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n